ESM X65's now at Kleins

[mu26aeh]

Their new website is a major CATASTROPHE.

The search function is extremely slow, most of the pictures are missing - why didn't they keep the old pictures?

AND I am unable to find those X65's... 

   Javier

You might need to clear your cache.

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  "I would confirm with Chuck that he has them in stock or en route."  Is there reason to think he won't?  Shorted by the factory, or something?

[Ngineer]

Right here:

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/search?search_query_adv=#filter:custom_scale:N

Mark,

that is exactly what I meant with catastrophe.

I just get a blank search page, no matter what I put into the search field. And the old version of their webpage did save my cart. The knew one doesn't. I hope they improve the shopping experience. (I'll try clearing the cache. Thanks for your help.)

 

The flat web design is an eyesore and very hard to use.

   Javier

[bbussey]

Bryan:  "I would confirm with Chuck that he has them in stock or en route."  Is there reason to think he won't?  Shorted by the factory, or something?

Not definitively no. But FRT hasn’t placed a direct order. It’s possible to acquire through distribution channels.

[Point353]

AND I am unable to find those X65's...  :

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/search?search_query_adv=X65

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  OK, I'll try to call him Monday, just in case.  When I talked to him last fall he said he had my orders and they had been placed, so he probably does have them ordered from somewhere, but I'll check.

His new store isn't working well.  About the only items being updated regularly are the monthly MT announcements, so I'm stuck emailing him reservations.  Hopefully he'll get it straightened out soon.

[amato1969]

Man the Valley cars are scarce!  I'm prob just going to pony up and order direct from ESM.

  Frank

[nkalanaga]

I called Chuck today.  Bad news - hopefully he'll be here to post a report, but Horizon Hobbies was his main distributor, and they've decided they'll no longer deal with him, as he didn't meet their standards for a brick-and-mortar store.  So, not only is he no longer able to get ANYTHING from Athearn, but they also refused to honor his reservations for other lines they distribute, which includes Atlas.

So, he's looking for another source for the other lines, and I'm looking for another source for Athearn.  My 'local' dealer sells Athearn, but mostly Appalachian roads, and he's never had their autoracks.  Chuck suggested N Scale Supply, so I've sent them an email, but it might be hard to get items where the reservation period has expired.

[Point353]

I called Chuck today.  Bad news - hopefully he'll be here to post a report, but Horizon Hobbies was his main distributor, and they've decided they'll no longer deal with him, as he didn't meet their standards for a brick-and-mortar store.  So, not only is he no longer able to get ANYTHING from Athearn, but they also refused to honor his reservations for other lines they distribute, which includes Atlas.

So, he's looking for another source for the other lines, and I'm looking for another source for Athearn.  My 'local' dealer sells Athearn, but mostly Appalachian roads, and he's never had their autoracks.  Chuck suggested N Scale Supply, so I've sent them an email, but it might be hard to get items where the reservation period has expired.

Two other possible options for Athearn products:
1) Fill out an 'Advance Product Notification' form at MBK (once the links to the forms are fixed) and then check your email daily as the time for the items to arrive approaches:
https://support.modeltrainstuff.com/hc/en-us/articles/202970113-A-product-I-want-isn-t-in-stock-How-can-I-request-you-order-me-one-
2) Place a pre-order/back-order with TrainWorld. New items are typically added to their site a month or two before they are expected to arrive:
https://www.trainworld.com/search/?bymanufacturer=5447&bycategory=&byscale=31&road_name=&electronics=

[peteski]

I called Chuck today.  Bad news - hopefully he'll be here to post a report, but Horizon Hobbies was his main distributor, and they've decided they'll no longer deal with him, as he didn't meet their standards for a brick-and-mortar store.  So, not only is he no longer able to get ANYTHING from Athearn, but they also refused to honor his reservations for other lines they distribute, which includes Atlas.

With Brick & Mortar hobby shops getting as rare as the proverbial Do-Do bird, Athearn's business model seems so very counterproductive.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  Chuck and I discussed that.  It's very hard to RUN a brick-and-mortar shop with today's reservation-based manufacturing.  There's no way to keep enough in stock to attract customers!  Apparently, Horizon Hobbies wants the shops to act as their warehouse.  "Buy as much as you think you'll sell in the next 5 years, we'll get the money, and you can sit in the inventory." (my comment, not his)

Chuck recommended N Scale Supply, so I reordered all of my Athearn and Atlas reservations there an hour or so ago.  They don't show anything from ESM except well cars, but Chuck was going to see if he could get those direct, and he's looking for a new distributor.  If I don't get the X65s they'll be rerun, and I don't NEED them for my BN, just want to add them to my interchange fleet.

He's still getting announcements from Trainworx and FVM, so those should be good, and nobody knows what Intermountain is going to do next anyway.  That covers most of what I had reserved with him.

[Philip H]

It's very hard to RUN a brick-and-mortar shop with today's reservation-based manufacturing.  There's no way to keep enough in stock to attract customers!  Apparently, Horizon Hobbies wants the shops to act as their warehouse.  "Buy as much as you think you'll sell in the next 5 years, we'll get the money, and you can sit in the inventory."

This was my exact thought as well.  Frankly if distributors don't want to hold inventory and ... distribute it ... then retailers and manufacturers need to rethink the distributor angle entirely. I know Horizon owns Athearn and not the other way around, but decisions like this are impacting their N Scale sales.  Which then drive the "No one buys N scale" narrative.

[bbussey]

... Chuck was going to see if he could get those direct, and he's looking for a new distributor.  If I don't get the X65s they'll be rerun, and I don't NEED them for my BN, just want to add them to my interchange fleet...

I will reach out to Chuck if I don't hear from him in the next few days.  He has ordered direct before.  Our favorite distributor (and the absolute best in the business) retired at the end of 2017 so that is the reason for the disruption.

Regarding the X65 — roads may be re-run but specific cars will not be.  And with additional roads to release on the model, it may be two or three cycles before the original roads are revisited, especially in the as-built configuration.

[bbussey]

... Frankly if distributors don't want to hold inventory and ... distribute it ... then retailers and manufacturers need to rethink the distributor angle entirely...

I wholeheartedly agree.

[haasmarc]

Bryan,

Has Klein's ordered more LV's?